Emergence: A Vault Dwellers Adventure
by SwiftWhiteWolf
Summary: After emerging from Vault 76 Aiden finds herself in a wonderful, terrifying new world. Along with the other residents of the Vault she is tasked with rebuilding the decimated country. Surviving is hard enough, and piecing together the past from relics and mementos proves to be an interesting diversion. What will she make of post-nuclear Virginia? What will it make of her?


Emergence [Revised, Pt 1]

Vault 76 was constructed with the best of intentions. A common saying goes that 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions'. In humanity`s case this held particularly true. The invention or nuclear power developed as a means to impove quality of life, as a potential energy source. Once the destructive power of the atom was discovered however, it was weaponized instead. With the imminent threat of nuclear world war looming on the horizon, humankind was on the brink of complete self destruction. The extensive underground bunkers developed by Vault Tec appeared to be the premier option for survival. 76 was fully equipped with state of the art technology and filtration systems. The shelter was stocked with enough rations and supplies to comfortably sustain a small population for decades. However, this particular Vault was meant to be a short term haven.

The inhabitants of Vault 76 were tasked with an overwhelmingly difficult mission; to rebuild the world. Whatever remained after the bombs detonated would be unlike anything the survivors had previously known. Radiation, mutations, and rampant disease were some of the hazards they would have to learn to overcome. Even the brightest and most talented individuals could not forsee every possible obstacle. In light of this every member of the Vault recieved rigorous and specialized training to aid them. There was only so much that could be learned in a classroom, however. Courage was not one of those things. When Reclaimation Day arrived and tricentennial Vault`s door opened, it was no great wonder many of the residents were too terrified of the unknown to leave.

Aiden West was not one of them. She lay alert in bed long before the Wakemaster alarm clock next to it was due to go off. A pale hand reached out and set the sleep button on the top, careful not to disturb the other body lying next to her. Soundlessly, she crept out of bed and made for the bathroom. Her bunkmate remained fast asleep, snoring softly. Aiden grabbed her scattered clothes from the floor and dressed quickly. A glance in the mirror told her she needed a hot shower and a comb desperately. At the front door she stared back in disbelief. They all must have been _extremely_ intoxicated the previous night. The curvy blonde tech she`d spent the last wee hours with was far too pretty to have been wasting time with her.

She took a mental picture of the other woman`s sleeping smile and disappeared before she could wake up. She wasn`t one for hooking up very often, although the last night before Reclaimation Day she hadn`t wanted to be alone. The company had helped keep her distracted, but now West needed to focus. She headed back to her own tiny apartment in the Vault and cleaned up. She finger combed her shoulder length purple hair and smeared on some dark eyeshadow and liner after brushing her teeth. It was hard not to let her thoughts drift back to Lauren when she spotted the chain of hickeys along her neck and collarbone.

"Some night." The twenty six year old chuckled quietly. She opted for a pair of thick cargo pants and a loose black hoodie over a tank top instead of the customary blue vault suit that most of the other dwellers wore. Years of working in the repairs department had taught her to value functionality over form. These clothes would be more durable than the suit and far better adapted to the outside. Aiden grabbed the backpack she`d prepared for today and left sitting next to her desk. A last look around before she exited for the main Vault caused a lump to form in her throat. She was going to miss her lovingly maintained guitar, but couldn`t justify bringing it along. The stack of comics next to her private terminal had all been thumbed through at least a hundred times. She did take the picture sitting next to them with her. Her parent`s smiling faces stared at her from the photo, taken before the bombs fell when Aiden had still been a swell in her mother`s stomach.

She stepped through the door and felt it swish closed quietly behind her. By the appearance of things a lot of people were still asleep or passed out, because the lobby was empty. She nimbly dodged a streamer falling from the ceiling as she made her way downstairs. Half deflated blue and yellow balloons festooned the area. Aiden playfully kicked one out of her way as she followed the cardboard vault boy cutouts leading the way towards the outside world and freedom. A plastic cup crunched under her boot, unnoticed. Set up along the route were several stations that dispensed basic supplies. She took her share as she went and hurried towards the vault`s iconic gear shaped blast door. A quick detour by the maintenance area allowed access to her locker there. Inside was a small satchel with some tools and a stash of holotapes containing music she liked to listen to while working. _No way I was leaving here without these,_ she thought. A pre-recorded message began to play through the Vault`s intercom system, startling her.

The voice belonged to the Overseer, and she was encouraging everyone to get up and venture forth with words of reflection and wishes of luck. Aiden`s pace quickened. She wanted to get out of the Vault and away before the others could ask her to stick together. It wasn`t that she disliked her neighbors-they were the only people she knew after all. But she wanted a fresh start, and to not be held back by their fears or needs right off the bat. She needed to acclimate to her new environment without being influenced by others immediately. Like everyone else, she didn`t know what to expect outside, only that anything was possible. She figured it would be easier at first to watch her own back if she didn`t have to watch out for anyone else`s. She rushed past the few handy robots left to guide the way until finally the massive exit was before her. It yawned wide open, permitting a light whiter and brighter than anything Aiden had ever seen to permeate the room. She cringed and waited for her watering eyes to adjust. They stung painfully for a few moments before doing so.

The world outside _was_ unlike anything Aiden West had imagined. She had anticipated everything to be brown and dead, decimated by radiation and fire. What she witnessed instead were colors. Everything was so vibrant, it was hard to believe any of it was real. The trees were gnarled and battered, but their leaves were shaded in the brightest reds, oranges, greens and golds she`d ever seen. Although the pavement on the terrace surrounding the Vault was cracked and had tufts of grass and tree roots growing through it, the view it overlooked was spectacular. Aiden had never seen real trees before, only pictures of them. They seemed especially massive as their twisted branches reached for an endless sky. The sensation of not having a solid ceiling over her head filled the woman with trepidation. Logically she knew it was impossible to fall upwards in to the cloudy blue void, but that didn`t keep her stomach from knotting uncomfortably. Aiden didn`t have tie to admire the scenery (or be afraid of it) for very long, however.

The distinct sounds of a struggle and gunfire echoed up the side of the mountain Vault 76 was built in to. A set of stairs lead down in that direction, which meant she definitely wanted to pick a different path. Her narrow brows knitted in a frown as she turned away. Part of her wanted to help what may have been a fellow Seventysixer in trouble. Her survival instinct won out. She had no gun, only a combat knife and her hand to hand training. They wouldn`t do much good in a shootout. Another observation prevented her from involving herself in what would have undoubtedly been a foolish, suicidal act of heroism. No one was calling for help. Aiden had no knowledge confirming if there were other human survivors. The prevailing hope the Overseer had tried to instill in her charges was that there would be other people left, but she hadn`t provided any evidence of this.

 _The question is;_ Aiden wondered, _if there are other people around, are they the kind I want to run in to? We`ve had things pretty good in the Vault all this time. Being raised there I never feared danger from the outside. There was always food, clean water, and medicine when we needed it. We had the luxury of not having to constantly look over our shoulders for hazards. But out here...who knows?_ Aiden`s thoughts narrowed to one simple truth. In this new and alien place her first priority had to be survival. If there were other people and they were trying to do just that, they would likely want what she had, little as it was. She had enough food and water to last a few days. After that it would be up to her to scavenge or hunt for everything. To live one`s whole life like that could make one desperate. She decided the safest route would be to stick to her original plan and avoid all contact as much as she was able to.

The backside of the slope was rocky, but it didn`t look too steep to climb down. Her muscles tensed while her heartbeat quickened from adrenaline. What new adventures waited for her? In the early morning light the former Vault dweller slipped off in to the unknown.


End file.
